Paige L. Christie is author of The Legacies of Arnan fantasy series: Draigon Weather (2017), Wing Wind (2018), Long Light (2019), Storm Forge (2020). As a believer in the power of words, Paige tells stories that are both entertaining and thoughtful. Especially of interest are tales that speak to women and open a space where adventure and fantasy are not all about happy endings. When she isn’t writing, she teaches belly dancing, is director of a non-profit, and runs a wine shop. She is a proud, founding member of the Blazing Lioness Writers, a small group of badass women, writing badass books.

I’ve always liked the idea of women saving themselves instead of needing to be saved. One day I wondered what if the woman chained to the rock waiting for the dragon to eat her, or the hero to rescue her, wants to be there? Why would that be the case? What would happen? And the foundation for Draigon Weather was born.

Leiel is a bit of a mix of every stifled, unique, intelligent girl I ever knew growing up. She lives a bit in her head, because that’s where she is allowed to be smart and think about the world. She works hard, and struggles with her desire to know and learn more than she is supposed to in her society. She’s brave in quiet ways, and she a bit naïve in others. I wanted her to be someone readers might meet any day and recognize.

Cleod is the boy girls are taught to want in all the fairy tales. He’s kind and brave and loyal and caring…sadly he is also completely misguided and gets caught up in both the expectations he sets for himself, and those created from him by his culture.

The first half of each of the books so far has been written during National Novel Writing Month (known as NaNoWriMo). It’s a challenge taking place every November, to write 50 thousand words in 30 days. I usually work 7 days a week and various jobs and I write when I get home, usually 10pm until midnight or so. I just plow away at it until I have a rough draft. And I never write in linear order. My brain doesn’t work that way. I’m much better pulling connections out of thin air and writing what the night demands of my brain. Then I put the whole thing in order later. Crazy, but it works for me.

After I have a 1st draft, I print the whole thing out and read it end to end, making notes and changes as I got. Then I correct it all back into the computer, adding the new stuff and edits, and any new ideas that come up. By the time I finish that, I’ve actually done 2 full edits. Then the whole thing goes to my team of Alpha readers for review. Based on their feedback and any new ideas I have, I rewrite the book again. The it goes to my main beta readers, rinse and repeat until I am happy enough with the result to send it on to my publisher for their once over. Any edits they want, then send back to me, and we work that out as many times as needed to get the book in shape for publication. It’s a ton of hard work, and I love every many of it!